Restoration of unobstructed, free-flowing sections of river can provide considerable environmental and ecological benefits. It removes impediments to aquatic species dispersal and improves flow, sediment and nutrient transport. This, in turn, can serve to improve environmental quality and abundance of native species, not only within the river channel itself, but also within adjacent riparian, floodplain and coastal areas. In support of this effort, a generic optimization model is presented in… CONTINUE READING